TORONTO \u2013 The Ottawa REDBLACKS rallied back from a 21-point first-quarter deficit to edge the Toronto Argonauts 46-42 in a thrilling ToonieBet Rivalry Game at BMO Field on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Dru Brown<\/a> \u2014 who missed the clubs\u2019 first meeting in Week 4 \u2014 was the difference, connecting on 26 of his 31 throws for 373 yards and five touchdowns to lead Ottawa to its first win against an East Division opponent this season.<\/p>\n Bralon Addison<\/a> led the way with 115 receiving yards and a touchdown, Justin Hardy<\/a> added 106 yards and two scores, while Eugene Lewis<\/a> contributed 51 yards and two touchdowns to cap Ottawa\u2019s dominant aerial assault. William Stanback<\/a> also played a role with a season-high 84 rushing yards on 17 totes to help the REDBLACKS improve to 3-6.<\/p>\n Nick Arbuckle<\/a> posted one of his strongest stat lines of the season, going 32-for-38 with 317 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, but it wasn\u2019t enough as the Argos fell to 2-7.<\/p>\n Before the game, franchise legends Nick Volpe and Chris Schultz were inducted as All-Time Argos.<\/p>\n RELATED It was all Argos to start. Arbuckle worked the flats on the opening drive for five straight completions, then \u2014 after the defence adjusted underneath \u2014 fired one over the top to Dejon Brissett<\/a> for a 26-yard touchdown. Lirim Hajrullahu<\/a> hit the extra point and added a single on the kickoff as Toronto raced to an 8-0 lead in under five minutes.<\/p>\n Brown looked eager to answer. Keelan White reeled one in for a 24-yard chunk to set up a field goal attempt, but Lewis Ward\u2019s bid sailed wide for a single.<\/p>\n After being pinned deep, Ottawa\u2019s Richie Leone<\/a> punted from his own red zone, and Janarion Grant<\/a> broke through the first wave for a 27-yard return, setting Toronto up at the REDBLACKS\u2019 31-yard line. On the very next snap, Arbuckle evaded pressure and found Jake Herslow<\/a> wide open at the goal line for the major. Lirim Hajrullahu<\/a>\u2019s conversion stretched the lead to 15-1.<\/p>\n With the first quarter winding down, the REDBLACKS engineered an efficient drive into field goal range. On the last play of the frame, Brown rolled out of the pocket looking for an open receiver, but instead got blasted by Cameron Judge<\/a> and lost the ball. Jordan Williams<\/a> was there to scoop it off the turf before rumbling 77 yards for the touchdown. Hajrullahu\u2019s extra point punctuated a dominant opening quarter for the Argos.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the fumble, both quarterbacks were razor-sharp out of the gate \u2014 Brown opened eight-for-eight for 88 yards, while Arbuckle was a perfect 10-for-10 for 116 yards and two touchdowns.<\/p>\n Desperate for a spark, Khalil Pimpleton delivered with a 57-yard punt return to the Toronto six-yard line, taking advantage of an Argos coverage unit that has surrendered a league-high four return touchdowns this season. Two plays later, Brown lofted a pass to the back of the end zone for Lewis, his first receiving major since Week 5. Ward\u2019s convert trimmed the deficit to 22-8.<\/p>\n Ottawa built momentum after their second two-and-out of the quarter, working the ensuing drive for a 35-yard field goal from Ward \u2014 and they weren\u2019t done.<\/p>\n On the next series, Brown recovered a botched snap and turned it into a 22-yard strike to Lewis on second-and-eight, then strung together three more completions of 10-plus yards. He finished the march with a 42-yard bomb to Addison, who added a toe-tapping grab on the two-point convert to cap 18 unanswered points and pull Ottawa within 22-19.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Arbuckle answered with a field goal drive, highlighted by Herslow\u2019s clean hurdle on a 29-yard catch-and-run, sending Toronto into halftime up 25-19.<\/p>\n Daniel Adeboboye<\/a> made his mark to open the second half. After dropping the kickoff, the former Argo recovered and broke free for a 72-yard return before being pushed out. From the Toronto 11, Lewis sold a slant-and-go to shake Benjie Franklin<\/a> and slip wide open at the back of the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. Ward missed the convert, but his ensuing kickoff skipped past Grant and into the end zone for a single, giving Ottawa its first lead of the night at 26-25.<\/p>\n The Argos answered with a gruelling 10-play march. Brissett\u2019s 24-yard spark set the tone, and Arbuckle dinked and dunked to the red zone before converting a gutsy third-and-four with his legs, then plunging in from the one. His bid to stretch the lead to seven on a two-point try fell short.<\/p>\n Ottawa wouldn\u2019t be outdone. On their response, Brown hit deep throws to move the chains on second-and-15 and second-and-11, then capped the drive with a 19-yard jump ball to Hardy in the end zone. Stanback\u2019s run on the two-point try fell just short of the goal line, keeping the score at 32-31 in Ottawa\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n Toronto had a chance to retake the lead, but Hajrullahu\u2019s 39-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide. Pimpleton ensured the return stayed out of the end zone, preserving Ottawa\u2019s one-point edge as the third quarter expired.<\/p>\n After the REDBLACKS opened the fourth with a quick two-and-out \u2014 highlighted by a huge second-down sack from Wynton McManis<\/a> \u2014 the Argos threatened again. Arbuckle completed five straight passes for 38 yards and finished the drive with a bullet to DaVaris Daniels<\/a> for six. This time, Arbuckle\u2019s two-point pass to Herslow was good, pushing Toronto back to a seven-point lead.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for Ottawa to get back into striking distance after Brown\u2019s 39-yard deep shot to Pimpleton. Helped by an Argos\u2019 penalty inside the five, the REDBLACKS brought out short-yardage specialist Dustin Crum<\/a> to power it in. Ward\u2019s extra point evened it up at 39-39.<\/p>\n
\u00bb Depth Charts:\u00a0OTT<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0TOR<\/a>
\u00bb Ottawa at Toronto by the numbers<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Game Notes: REDBLACKS at Argonauts<\/a>
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